Racing game



Sept. 30, 1941.

DE WITT c. WEBB RACING GAME r. O .T. H n- J Sept. 30, 1941. DE .WITT c. WFEBB RACING GAME 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snumtor Filed June 8, 1939 Sept. 30, 1941.

DE WITT c. WEBB RACING GAME Filed June 8, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 226m: at W5 5i attornegs Sept. 30, 1941. DE WITT c. WEBB RACING GAME 6 sheets s heet 4 Filed June a, 1939 Quill s m a 14: 5 4 Z4 w 1T 9 f w a H /Aw o 3 a w 4 w m o M 9 7 2% 3 a n F m w m a w W z M m m Ottomans.

Sept. 30, 1941. DE WITT c. WEBB RAG ING GAME Filed June 8, 1939 6 SheetsSheet 5 \\\\\\\k\\\\\\\k\\\\\\\\\k\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ D6 a WjflJnventor as Z] 9 I Sept. 30, 1941. DE WITT c. WEBB 2,257,661

- RACING GAME Filed June 8, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 g A n S- 3 2% Mg P K Zinnentor (IttornegS.

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACING GAME De Witt C. Webb, Washington, D. 0.

Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 278,163

Claims.

The present invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly to a racing game wherein the objects may be in simulation of horses or the like, and wherein the movement of the objects in competing in a race cannot be predetermined, and thus the interest of the players is increased as the game proceeds.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a positive mechanical drive means for operating the racing pieces and which embodies a novel and peculiar arrangement of gears, cams, clutches and conical drum devices so as to make unpredictable the relative movement or advancement of the racing pieces, and wherein means are provided for entering any desired number of the game pieces within the range of the apparatus in a selected race.

The invention also aims at the provision of improved and novel stop means for the racing pieces and for the drums and other parts of the apparatus to insure that the driving or operation is stopped at the completion of the race, and to provide novel means for returning the racing pieces to the starting point; for controlling such return; and to prevent fouling of the drive lines or cables and to maintain all of the working parts under control at all times.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a game apparatus embodying these features and which may be check controlled so as to optionally select or connect in the race any desired number of the racing pieces.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like 01' corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section and partly broken away, of a game apparatus constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view but with the top wall partly removed to illustrate the driving and controlling apparatus.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through one side of the apparatus substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1, showing the racing pieces at the starting point.

finishing end of the racing game taken on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a like view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a similar transverse section taken on the line 11 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a transverse section on the line 8-8 of Figures 2 and 3, showing the drum mounting.

Figure 9 is a transverse section through the starting end of the game apparatus on the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a similar view on the line I0l0 of Figure 2, and i g r Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuits used in. the present illustrated embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 10.

Referring now to the drawings, the game apparatus is contained in a box or casing 25 of any suitable length and width to contain the mechanism, and which is provided with a top plate or wall 26 providing the race course and which has a plurality of guides or trackways 21 disposed in parallel lengthwise relation upon the top plate 26 and, extending throughout a substantial portion of the length of the apparatus. Slidably mounted in each trackway Zlis a racing piece 28 which may be given any suitable configuration. Each racing piece 28 is attached to a cord or cable 29 which, at the starting end of the apparatus, is carried downwardly through a slot 30 in the top plate 26 and over an idler pulley 3| where the cord is passed back and forth over a suitable take-up device, which in the present instance comprises a desired number of pulleys 32 disposed adjacent the idler pulley 3| and fixed at one end of a slotted guide 33 in which is mounted a transverse shaft 34 carrying a desired number of movable shiftabl'e pulleys 35. The pulleys 35 may be disposed in a single frame or block which, by means of a spring 36, is drawn outwardly from the pulleys 32 so that the cord 29, which is carried back and forth over the pulleys 32 and 35 a desired number of times, is drawn into the take-up device to an extent required by the travel of the racing pieces 28 and depending upon the number of pulleys used and the length of the spring 36 which draws the pulleys 32 and 35 apart. The spring 36 is anchored at one end ina frame 31, which may comprise a part of the guide 33. as shown, and which may be secured to the underside of the top plate 26. There is provided one of these cord take-up devices for each cord 29 and its trackway.

its trackway 2'! to the finishing end of the racing apparatus. Each cord is passed downwardly over an idler pulley 38 at the finishing end of the trackway 27 and through a guide 38 which is disposed within the casing 25 adjacent to the pulley 38 for holding the cord to the pulley and offsetting any whipping action which may be set up incident to the back and forth travel of the cords. The cord 29 passes from the guide 58 to a .winding drum 39, there being a drum 39 for each cord and the drums being separate and'independent of one another. The. drums 59 are. mounted in spaced relation to turn freely and independently upon a transverse shaft 49. The drums 39 are given different longitudinal shapes or configurations so that they may taper in opposite directions, may present diverging conical sections, or may have other suitable irregular shapes'which will cause the various cords 29 to Wind with varying rates of speed according to their positions on the different drums. The

transverse shaft 40 is driven through a worm wheel 4| loose upon the shaft. This worm wheel 4! may be connected at times to the shaft by 'a clutch collar 42 which intermeshes with teeth on the side of the worm wheel Ill when the clutch collar 42 is shifted by the clutch lever 43.

The worm wheel 4| meshes with a worm M on a shaft which is connected by bevel gears to a worm shaft l'L'the worm of which meshes with a. second ,worm wheel 43 fixed, on a shaft with a bevel pinion 49. The pinion '59 meshes with the bevel gear 59 provided withacrankarm 5! to which ispivoted one end of a connecting rod 52 carried pivotally upon a slide bar 53 which is mounted in a suitable bracket in the side of the box or casing 25, as shown in Figure 2.

The slide bar 53 is forked at one end and embraces a friction pulley 54 which is splined for axial shifting by the bar '55 on an extension of the shaft of a motor 55. The friction pulley 5Q bears, against a friction disc 55 which is on a shaft with a drive pulley 5?. A belt 58 passes over the pulley 5! and leads to a pulley 59 carried by the worm shaft '41 so as to drive the latter from the friction disc 55, variably through V the pinion 54, by the motor 55, Thus, through the bevel gears 56 and worm wheel ll the' shaft 45 is driven at variablerates of speed. depending upon the throw of a the crank-arm 5| andits connected parts which constantly shift the drive friction pinion 55.

The drums 39 are held in spaced apart relation,

and substantially in register with their respec tive tracks 21, by means of collars 65 fixed upon the shaft 40 to hold'the drums from shifting in one direction, andby hook arms 6|, carried by g the collars 59, engaging'over the adjacent drum fianges' to hold the drums from shifting, in an opposite direction The shaft 45 is provided with a clutch collar 62"for each drum 39, and each clutch'c'ollar 62 is provided with a shifting lever 63 normallyheld in a neutr'al'position by a spring 54 to maintain the drums 39' free upon the shaft 49 -A solenoid 65, or any other suitable device,

is connected to each shifting lever 53 and adapted, Wh'enenergized, to shift the respective collar 52 into engagement with its drum and'thus in- 'terlock the respective drum or drumsuponthe shaft 40 Each solenoid 65 is connected in circuit with an actuating device for connecting the respective drum 39 to the driven shaft 45. In the present instance, see Figure 5, a suitable check controlled apparatus is used Chutes 55 are arranged, one for each solenoid 65, to receive a check 61, in disc or other suitable form, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. The check 61 is forced into the chute 56 against a spring 58 carrying a contact hook 59 interlockingly engageable with an adjacent contact finger it to close a circuit through the corresponding solenoid 65 and connect the corresponding racing piece 28 for operation in the race.

The fingers 10 are carried on a bottom plate H which normally closes the chutes 5B and supports the checks 6? in the bottom of the chutes. The plate 'H is edgewise shiftable, by knobs i2 suitably mounted on the ends of the plate ll outside the casing 25. The shifting of the plate ll not only permits the checks 5? in the chutes 55 to drop into the return hopper 13, opening at its bottom through the end wall of the casing 25, as shown in Figure 5, but also releasesthe contact latches 59 and ill by moving the fingers in laterally from the books 99. This would break the electric circuit through the solenoid 65, deenergize these solenoids and release the racing pieces except thatanother current path through the solenoids 55 is established as described later.

To further vary the speed of travel of the rac ing pieces 28, the'cords 25 each have av guide '54 which traverses the corresponding winding drum 39. The traverse mechanisms for the various guides i l operate at varying rates of speed and in varying relative directions so that while the frusto-conical configuration of the drum remains the same, the varying movement of the guide thereover varies the speed. of travel ofthe cord 29'. Each guide M may be'a ring or eyelet carried on the end of an arm pivoted at E5 toa suitable bracket ii. The other ends 78 of the arms 15 converge inwardly from their pivots 36 toward a substantially central point adjacent the drums 35, as shown in Figure 2, and bear against cams 79 mounted on a verticalshaft 85, Figures 2 and 3, provided-With a pulley 8! connected by a belt 82 to the small diameter portion of a double pulley 83 which in turn is connected the top of the casing 25 tdreceive the racing.

pieces 28 at the end of the race. The 'rail 65 is supported on arms 89 pivoted in the bottom of the casing 25 and extendingupwardly through slots in the top 26 thereof and arenormally' urged into upright position, by one or more springs 99 mounted inthe casing 25, against a stop strip" 9i secured across the underside of the casing top 25. The rail 55 carries a lamp 92 for each racing piece 28, and'which is in line with the corresponding trackway .Ll. contacts 53 foreach racing pieceffi. The top wall 25 of the casing carries a pair of contacts 94 at the end of each .tr'ackway ,2? to receive therebetween a portion of the racing piece 28fwhen engaging the lamp contacts 95. The racing pieces 28 may be of clesired'constructi'ori and configuration, but must have electricity jcondufctor portions 28' at opposite sides] The conductor portions 25 bridge thecontacts 95 and ii i at opposite sides of the racing pieces 28 when at the finishing" rail 33,

The chutes 56 each have a lower hinged section 95, see Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, normally held ver- Therail also carries a pairof tically over the hopper I3 by a spring 99 and adapted to be swung backwardly over a receptacle 91 by a solenoid 98 connected in parallel in the circuit of the respective indicator lamp 92.

The casing 25 has a cross bar 99 with one end projecting from one side of the casing and provided on said end with a push button for shifting the bar 99 toward the opposite side of the casing. A spring 109 is carried about the bar 99 between the casing and the button to normally urge the bar outwardly as shown in Figures 2, 5 and '7. The bar 99 is connected at its inner end to a bell crank lever IElI pivoted in the casing 25 with its lower end adjacent the pivot of the shifting lever 43 for swinging the latter and releasing the driving clutch collar 42 to free the shaft 49 from the driving mechanism.

When the shaft 40 is free of the driving mechanism, the cord take-up devices come into action and return the racing pieces 28 to their starting positions. To prevent overrunning and damage to the parts during this return movement, a brake bar I92, Figure 8, is disposed beneath the drums 39 and supported on an arm I03. As shown in Figure 3, the arm I03 is pivoted at I94 and is connected by an outer end link I05 to a second arm I96 operable by a centrifugal governor Iil'l. From Figure 2 it will be noted that the governor I! is driven through a gear mechanism I98 and a drive belt I09 from a drive wheel on the transverse shaft 49.

The motor 55 has a switch I I2 which is manually operable to close the switch, and which is opened by the action of a solenoid I ID. The solenoid III] is, as shown in Figure 11, connected in parallel in the circuit of the lamps 92 for stopping the motor as soon as a contestant reaches the finishing rail 88.

To prevent the accidental shifting of the bottom plate H until the driving clutch is released, the bottom plate I I, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, has an arm I I4 which extends backwardly in the casing 25 and at its rear end abuts the side of the bar 99. The bar 99 has a notch I I5 therethrough adapted to register with the arm II4 only when the bar 99 is shifted to release the arm H4 and permits the sliding backwardly of the bottom plate 'II.

The racing pieces 28 each have a projection I I6 at one side adapted to engage a pivoted and pronged switch Ill. The switch III is in circuit with a corresponding solenoid 85, as shown in Figure 11. When a racing piece 28 leaves its starting position it closes the switch II'I which remains closed until it is opened by the racing piece returning to the starting position after the conclusion of a race. At this time the corresponding clutches 92 are released by the opening of the switches III.

While any suitable system of electric circuit may be used in the game apparatus,,the above described switches, solenoids and the like are shown in Figure 11 connected up in one manner to the current supply wires I I I. Where the supply current is of the A. C. type, rectifiers I I9 may be used for converting the current to that of the D. C. type to take care of the solenoids in the secondary circuits.

The word solenoid wherever used in this description includes any form of electro-magnetic device capable of accomplishing the desired result.

When it is desired to play the game, the apparatus should be inspected to make sure that the racing pieces 28 are at the starting line, as shown in Figure 2.

Checks 61 are new deposited iii the selected chutes 66 to close their respective circuits through the switches 69 Ill and energize the corresponding solenoids 65. The corresponding drums 39 are thus connected to the shaft 40. The switch I I2 is closed to start the driving mechanism, and to close the circuit throughthe solenoid I I3 and connect the transverse shaft 49 with the driving mechanism. The race now begins. The drums 39 which are connected to the shaft 40 wind up their cords 29 and pull the racing pieces 28 forwardly from their starting points and against the tension of the return springs 35. As the contours of the drums 39 are of different shapes, the cords 29 are wound thereon at different rates of speed. These differences in the rates of travel of the racing pieces 28 are made more unpredictable not only by the varying drive of the friction disc 56 of the driving mechanism, but also by the cam operated guides 14 which traverse the drums 39 under influence of their respective cams. Then too, the clutches 62 on the shaft 40 are engaged at different times in different angular relations to the drums 39, particularly when there are less players than there are racing pieces 28. The shaft 49 is clutched into the driving mechanism through the clutch 42 at different relative positions of the friction drive pulley, and makes the outcome of the race ever more unpredictable.

The mechanism is preferably enclosed in the casing 25 so that the relation'of the parts when set in motion cannot be observed. Thus players cannot make any definte calculations which might lead them to theorize on the outcome of the plays. However, there are so many unrelated contingencies to consider in the relative movements of the racing pieces 28 that it is practically impossible to know such movements beforehand. There is the variable drive between the friction disc 56; the clutch 42 which conmeets the shaft 40 to the driving mechanism without regard to the rotative relation of the shaft 4|] to the driving worm wheel M; the independent and selective connecting of the drums 39 on the shaft 49; the different contours of the winding drums 39; and the variable and independent movements of the traversing guides I4; all contributing in combination and individually to the independent and variable driving of the racing pieces 28 during the playing of the game.

As the racing pieces 28 leave their starting positions, against the posts IIB, theprojections IIB snap the switches II'I closed and thus insure that the drums 39 of the selected racing pieces 28 are maintained coupled to the shaft 49 through gleir clutches 62 and the corresponding solenoids The winning racing piece 28 is determined as the first one which strikes the rail 88, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, and the winning racing piece 28 closes the contacts 93 and 94, lights the lamp 92 and energizes the solenoid 98 which shifts the lower chute section to direct the check 61 in the chute back into the compartment or receptacle 91'. At the same time the motor switch solenoid H0 is energized and cuts off the current to the motor 55 which stops the motor 55 and the driving mechanism with the shaft 49 and drums 39 connected thereto.

The projecting end of the cross bar 99 is pressed inwardly to release the clutch 42 and free the shaft 40. The take-up devices now, under tension of the Springs 36, return the racing pieces, under control of the governor N11, to the starting line of the game. The racing pieces strike the switches I I1 and open them so as to release the drums 39 from the shaft 40, and all of the parts are now in starting position.

, The bottom plate H, being released by the depressed bar 99, may now be pulled back by the knobs 12 to permit the checks 6! in the chutes 66 of the remaining race piece to fall into the outer receptacle 13 from which they may be removed through the end of the casing 25, as shown particularly in Figure 5.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims:

What is claimed is: r g 1. In a racing game, a plurality of racing pieces having drawing cords and drums upon which the cords are adapted to be wound, said drums having different contours for varying the speeds of operation of the racing pieces, means for turning the drums, a plurality of supporting arms pivotally mounted adjacent the drums with an end of each arm disposed to traverse the adjacent drum when the pivoted arms are oscillated, cord guides carried upon said ends of the arms to feed the cords to the drums, and a plurality of cams variably disposed in axially angular relation and engaging the opposite ends of said armsto variably oscillate the same and produce the irregular and uneven winding of the cords on the drums. v

2, In a racing game, variable driving means, racing pieces each having a drawing cord, a plurality of drumsselectively engageable in difierent angular positions with said driving means and each having winding surfaces of difierent contours, said different contours being different on eachof the drums to receive the cords thereon and advance the racing pieces at difierent and varying rates of I speed, and a plurality of sup porting arms pivotally mounted adjacent the drums with an end of each arm disposed to traverse the adjacent drum when the pivoted arms are oscillated, cord guides carried upon said ends of the arms to feed the-cords to the drums, and a plurality of cams variablydisposed in axially angular relation and engaging the opposite ends of said arms to variably oscillate the same and pro duce the irregular and uneven winding of the cords on the drums. 7 g

3. In a racing game, a pluralityof drum ele ments each of different contour and each having asicei Winding surfaces of different-contours, racing pieces each having a drawing'cord for winding upon the drum surfaces, variably oscillating 'cord guides traversing the drum elements for irregularly feeding the cords thereto and varying the ratesof speed of the racing pieces, variable driving means for the drum elements and the cord guides including variable speed and selectively engageable coupling means for the drum elements, and a plurality of cams variably disposed for the cord guides.

4. In a racing game, racin pieces having cords for operating the same, a drum for each cord for receiving the cord thereon, each of the drums having a different and variable contour from each other for correspondingly advancing the racing pieces during the operations of the drums, a variable speed drive mechanism, means ,for independently connecting the drums ,to said drive means for entering selected racing pieces in the engagement, and a plurality of supporting arms pivotally mounted adjacent the drums with an end of each arm disposed to traverse the adjacent drum when the pivoted arms are oscillated, cord guides carried upon said ends of the drums to feed the cords to the drums, and a plurality of cams variably disposed in axially angular relation and engaging the opposite ends of said arms to variably oscillate the same and produce the irregular and uneven winding of the cords on the drums.

5. In a racing game, racing pieces each having a cord and a drum upon which the cord is adapted to be wound, each of said drums having difierent and variable contours difierent from each other for advancing the racing pieces at unpredictable rates of speed, a variable driving mechanism, means pivotally supported adjacent each drum and adapted 'to traverse the ade jacent drum when said pivoted means are oscillated, cord guides carried upon one end of said means to feedthe cords to the drum, a plurality of cams variably disposed in axially angular relation and engaging the opposite ends of said means to variably oscillate same and produce the irregular and uneven winding of the cords on the drums, check controlled means for selectively connecting the drums to the driving mech anism irrespective of the axially angular positions'of the drums to enter desired racing pieces in the game, and means operable by said game pieces for stopping the driving mechanism when one of said racing pieces'reaches the end of the race. V a

a 7 DE WI'IT C. WEBB. 

